Palestinians pop up in Panama Papers
The Panama Papers included many names from the Palestinian Authority, an institution already facing widespread allegations of corruption.
Ever since the inception of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1994, local and international organizations have repeatedly issued reports on the rampant corruption plaguing its ministries and departments. The problem is not limited to administrative and financial excesses committed by irresponsible individuals for personal motives, but rather is seems entrenched in the PA's structure.
The most recent corruption case was revealed by the so-called “Panama Papers,” which were published April 4. The Panama Papers exposed the involvement of international figures in tax evasion and money laundering.
Tareq Abbas, the son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was among the Palestinian names contained in the papers. According to these documents, Abbas secretly owns, in partnership with the PA, a holding company worth more than $1 million in the British Virgin Islands.
Mohammed Mustafa, the former Palestinian deputy prime minister who resigned in 2015 and current head of the Palestine Investment Fund, was also on the list, as was the Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC), one of the largest companies in Palestine with more than 1,500 employees.
